Patriot League report

SportsLine.com Report
June 11, 2000

A glance at 2001

Less than 30 minutes after losing to Lafayette in the opening round of the Patriot League tournament, Pat Harris was asked to assess his team's offseason goals.

"We have to get older and stronger. We need to be a lot stronger," said Harris, who started 5-11, 170-pound sophomore Chris Spatola and 6-1, 170-pound freshman Mike Canty in the backcourt. "With no seniors, we had to throw a lot of guys to the wolves."

Army's patient style kept scores low, but the Cadets horrid offensive production usually negated that effort. Army needs to get better inside production and its small forwards need to be more consistent. Otherwise, Canty and Spatola will be forced to launch treys early and often.

The coach

No one seems to be more patient than Pat Harris. The former point guard at the Academy under Mike Krzyzewski sees better days for the Cadets, who return everyone and welcome back rugged forward Dax Pearson from a two-year Mormon mission.

In the league's service academy rivalry, Army runs a distant second to perennial contender Navy. Army's prep school needs to do a better job of preparing Division I-ready players, rather than Harris trying to win games with freshmen who should still be at the junior varsity level. It remains to be seen whether the academy wants to make that institutional commitment to winning basketball.

Who'll be back

The good news is everyone is back. The bad news is this team finished in last place in a league in which most of the other teams return a majority of their starters. Dax Pearson, a 6-7 forward, should help after being away for two seasons on a Mormon mission.

The Cadets need seniors-to-be Seth Barrett and Joe Clark to show their early-career form. Barrett, Harris said, needs to get his playing weight back to 240 pounds from 220 and become more of a presence. Charles Woodruff (6-5, 192) needs to play at 210-215. Same goes for 6-7, 200-pound Jonte Harrell.

Army still will be small in the backcourt with Canty and Spatola and their backups, Jerry Crockett and Ray Fredrick, both 5-9. Harris and the Cadets are high on 6-7 center Adam Glosier, who was the top freshman rebounder. Glosier needs to boost his offensive production for Army to improve. The Cadets may try to play both Glosier and 6-9 Matt Rutledge to combat the league's much bigger front lines.

Who's gone

No one is expected to leave, but at the Academy it's normally the rigid academic and military life that runs out players rather than the athletics.